turnover rate

Turnover rate

Measures trading activity during a particular period. Portfolios with high turnover rates incur higher transaction costs and are more likely to distribute capital gains, which are taxable to nonretirement accounts.

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turnover rate

1. The trading volume in a particular stock during a time period (generally one year) as a percentage of the total number of shares of that stock outstanding. The turnover rate adjusts for the differences in outstanding shares and provides a measure of the relative activity in a stock.

2. For an investment company, the volume of shares traded as a percentage of the number of shares in the company's portfolio. A high turnover rate may indicate excessive trading and commissions.